Realising there was an audience, including a dog, in his shop, Clive ran his eyes over them and repeated, ‘What’s going on?’
‘We’ve come to get Effie back,’ Alf said.
Clive dropped down onto one of the chairs beside the door. ‘I think someone needs to explain what’s going on. Effie, why are you here and not in Polcarrow?’
‘Because you weren’t happy with how I was running things. Zach came and told me. He’s taken over the shop,’ she explained, her stomach churning in case Clive confirmed this was the truth.
‘Zach? I didn’t even realise he was back home.’ Clive paused as he tried to make sense of what she was saying. ‘What’s he doing interfering with my business? Never been interested before.’ The penny dropped. ‘That would explain what’s happened! You know, I was watching the accounts and couldn’t understand why a thriving shop was suddenly taking no money. I came back because I thought you were struggling, Effie, and I find you here. What on earth is he playing at?’
‘Kicked her out of the flat too,’ Sue interjected, ‘and cancelled story time. He’s scared the children off.’
‘And he’s painted the door blue,’ Lola said before adding, ‘very badly. It’s an eyesore.’
Clive ran his hand through his thinning hair. ‘Dear me. Effie, why didn’t you contact me?’
‘Because you were on holiday! Maddie did try. Also, I thought he was right. That I was running the shop differently to here and that maybe you didn’t have the heart to come and tell me yourself. I think I got carried away turning the shop into my own childhood dream and not in keeping in line with the business.’
Clive looked at her in disbelief. ‘You really think that?’
Effie nodded. It now seemed so preposterous.
Clive pulled his phone out of his pocket and clicked onto the shop’s social media. ‘People love it. Or they did. Effie, it was going so well that when I was away, I was thinking we could incorporate your ideas into refreshing this place. This shop has felt like a burden for so long, I will admit that. It was so easy to just let you girls sort it out and run it, but seeing how much everyone loved the Polcarrow shop gave me a boost and helped me believe in the business again.’
Silence fell over everyone as they took in Clive’s words. Hope began to rise in Effie as she thought of the shop, her little flat, the sea view and early-morning swims. Jake slipped his hand back into hers. It felt natural, right, even without the talking, she sensed that things were going to turn out for the best.
‘So, what are we going to do?’ she asked.
Clive hauled himself up. ‘I think we need to go to Polcarrow and sort this mess out. That’s all I need after the flight I’ve just had.’ He ran a hand down his tired face. ‘What was your plan?’
Effie glanced around at everyone, ‘Erm, we hadn’t got that far yet.’
‘But we have come to take Effie home,’ Jake said, stepping closer to her.
Effie glanced up at him, feeling safe wherever he was, knowing he had her back in whatever she faced.Home, she liked the way that sounded.
Chapter Forty-Six
Effie desperately wanted to talk to Jake alone. She sensed there was much more he wanted to say than he’d been able to voice in the shop. It thrummed between them like a live wire. However, as Sue had driven them over to Penzance in her seven-seater, which they were all now crammed into for the return journey, there was no space for a private conversation. The car was full of unspoken desire, unuttered explanations and anticipation over what would happen next. Everyone pretended that they weren’t dying to hear if Effie and Jake were getting together.
Effie snuck a glance at him across the back seat. Jake reached over and linked his fingers experimentally through hers as they hurtled around the twisty country lanes. When Effie gave him a small, encouraging smile, Jake squeezed her hand rather than pulling away. Clive was bringing up the rear in his sports car, Maddie in the passenger seat, having proclaimed they could close the shop for an afternoon as she was not missing out on all the excitement.
‘I hope Clive knows we’re all doing this for you, not to save his arse,’ Jake said.
‘We’ve all missed you,’ Lola said. ‘Polcarrow isn’t the same without its resident mermaid. All the kids are scared of going into the shop because Zach banned them from picking up the books. Doesn’t want them getting dirty.’
‘I didn’t realise Zach cared about books,’ Effie said dryly, ‘only the money they make.’
‘He’s not been making any money,’ Alf put in. ‘He opens late, shuts early, glowers at anyone who comes in until they leave.’
‘Empty handed! Honestly, Effie, the amount of people I’ve had complain that the shop isn’t at all what it looked like on social media,’ Lola said. ‘His attitude is affecting all our businesses.’
‘Lola refused to serve him,’ Freya said.
‘What?’
Lola shrugged. ‘If he doesn’t want to serve anyone then I don’t want to serve him.’
Effie smiled as she thought about how full and rich her life had become since she’d arrived in Polcarrow with her bags of books and baskets of knitting. She cast a glance around the car. Jake, Alf and Scruff, Lola and Freya, even Sue, all of them cared deeply about a business they’d known for about five minutes. Not just the business, Effie realised, but her as well.
